Sentimental items are the most difficult to declutter. I saved them until last. It was easier to go through sentimental clutter when I had gone through everything else in the house. Sentimental items are hard because they have meaning. We want to be surrounded by things we love and things that have meaning. 

Sentimental items are not bad. However, it is possible to have too many sentimental items if you place every single item into the “sentimental” category. Don’t use the sentimental category as a catch-all for things you don’t want to deal with in your decluttering journey. 

You are the only person who can answer questions about sentimental items because those items hold meaning specific to you. To someone else, that blanket may just be a blanket, something to keep warm. However, if it was a blanket your grandmother made, then for you that is a more meaningful item than just a blanket. Yes, it keeps you warm, but it has so many memories attached to it too.

The thing to remember is that we are attached to people, not things. Do you really need 10 items to remind you of your grandmother, or will 5 items do? I can’t answer that. Only you can. Decluttering sentimental items is tough for a reason. There is so much emotion involved.

When it comes to decluttering sentimental items, the only advice I have is to leave them until last. If you start out decluttering sentimental items, you will become frustrated and discouraged. Don’t go there. Minimalism is about decluttering stuff to have more room for people you love. That is what makes sentimental items so hard.

I have been going through my own process in decluttering sentimental items. For me personally, I got rid of everything from childhood. I had a very bad childhood. It’s not something I want to remember. Why keep items from that time? They just remind me of pain.

Photos are meaningful to me. I created a photo album I like to call “My greatest hits.” It is a curated collection of the best moments of my life. These are the memories and moments I want to remember when I’m on my death bed. Those are the photos in my one album of greatest hits. Only my best and most treasured life moments, events and people are in there.

There are some items that I have set aside with a note on them that they will be donated or trashed (depending on item), when I move. Some things in this house I will not take with me when I move again.

Some of those items, like my couch, I am using. The couch is over 25 years old and has been through several moves. I have decided that it is not up to another move. If I move again, the couch will not go with me. However, I am keeping the couch right now because I am using it. I am not going to bother purchasing a new one when the one I have works perfectly fine. I just won’t move house with this couch again.

Then there are items with notes on them that say “donate (or trash when move” that are not currently being used. Honestly, those are items that can probably leave now. One of those items is a small box of photo negatives. In the digital age, it Is very challenging to find a photo lab that can process prints from negatives. I already have prints from those negatives. It may be time to get rid of the negatives, since most of those photos are already in my greatest hits photo album. 

What is the point in hanging onto something like photo negatives that are not being used? It is very unlikely that I will either need to be able to make prints from them again. They are sentimental clutter and can probably leave. 

As my minimalism journey is winding down, I am coming down to things that are hard choices to make. Sentimental items are difficult. 

Don’t beat yourself up if you have a lot of sentimental items. Yes, you are still a minimalist. If those things bring you joy, there is no set number of items for people to have. As long as you have enough time for the people in your life and your stuff does not take all of your time, you are fine. 

Sentimental items are the hardest. Leave them until last.